Screw-driver and other tool.



E. L. AIKEN.

SCREW DRIVER AND OTHER TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 18 1,158,765. Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

V W WITNESSES.- IN V EN TOR,

A TTOR NE Y.

COLUMBM PLANDGRAPH cm, WASHIN GGGGGGG c4 men.

SCREW-DRIVER AND OTHER TOOL.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed January 18, 1915, Serial ll'o. 2,966.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD L. A a citizen'ofthe United States of Amer ca, and resident of Springfield, in the countyof -Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Screw-Drivers and other Tools,.

shank or spindle will be forcibly rotatively. -moved when the memberthrough which the power is applied is turned in one direction, suchshank remaining passive and unafiected by the power member when thelatter is reversely turned. r

The object of the present invention to provide-a tool having the ratchet210131011 1 but in which, however, there 1s, instead of pawls andratchet wheels, and parts cooperative therewith novel devices of dissimilar and simplified character which are entirely-efficient,preferable to ratchet de vices, and 7 generally satisfactory and desirable.

A further object of the invention is to. IPIiOVlClQ constructions andarrangements in the tool whereby the shank or work member thereof may,as elected, be turned forwardly or backwardly underthe forcibleimpulses, rotatively, of the handle or power memiber,th e relativelyreversed movements of the power member being ineffective turning of thetool shank.

The invention is described in conjunction 7 portions of the inventionare embodied, on i a larger scale for increased .clearness ofillustration. Figs. 3' and dare cross sectional views .on lines 3-53 and.4l4, Fig. 1, respec- 'tively, as seen in the directionsindicated by thearrows shown in congunction with the section lines.

for the Fig. 5 is a side view of the lockingor binding members removedfrom their place of action in the tool; Fig. 6 is an end view showingconstructions or. formations provided at the lower end of the handle orpower member.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all ofthe views.

I will proceed to describe the tool, here exemplified as a screw driver.exactly and specliically as the same has been constructed by me, itbeing understood that changes and departures from these constructionsmay be made within the scope of the invention and the purview of theclaims without departure therefrom. H

Inthe drawings,.A represents the shank, spindle, or work member of thetool having atan intermediate portion thereof a fixed cylindrical orcup-shaped casing B, the same having the upwardly opening circularchamher a therein, and a circular cavity 7) of re duced diameter.

C and D represent approximately semispherical friction shoes normallyloosely fitted in the circular cavity or chamber 6 in the casing B, onebeing somewhat wider than the other as shown in Figs. 3, d and 5; andthese friction shoes or binding member-s are adapted to have separatingmove-' ments one relatively to the other for engagement against the wallin the casing which surrounds them. Z) I) represent fulcrum membersbetween said shoes at points opposite the axis of the tool; In thepresent instance the adjacent inner edges of the shoes have verticalgrooves or are shaped channels parallel with the axis of the device,within, and retained by which, are small-cylindrical blocks constitutingthe fulcrum members 6. The wider shoe C has a rabbet in its top openingto its narrow edge whereby a straight backing-up shoulalinementdiametrically of the tool but the said lever bars may either of them,but

Gr represents the handle loosely encircling I the portion of the toolshank or spindle A above the cylindrical casing B ;j the'same having aretaining nut c on its upper end,

between which and'the internal shoulder at the bottom of the counterborein thehandle a spring 9 is provided under compres-' sion; the handle is,therefore, capable of an endwise movement, as well as a rotatlvemovement relatively to the spindle; and the V straddling engagement overeither one or the other of the end portions of the lever bars whichoutwardly project beyond the edges of the shoes. The other oppositelylocated recess a in the annular flange of the handle isconsiderablywider than the recess 72, so

that while the handle, by reason of the straddling engagement which itsrecessed flange has with one of thelever bars 1s eflective, under therotative movement of the handle in one direction, to swing such leverbar, the flange by reason of'the opposite recess being so wide will notaffect, or be obstructed by, the opposite lever bar in the operation oruse of the tool.

Assumingthe handle is adjusted with relation to the clutching devices asrepresented in Fig. 3, that iswith the narrow recessed portion of theflange in engagement with the lever bar which is shown uppermost, the

. turning of the handle in the direction of 4'0 the arrow will swing thelever bar in the corresponding direction with the result of edgewiseengaging the shoe D and swinging it from the relatively lower one of thefulcrums b to its bind with the wall of the casing, and compel the shankof the screw driver to be turned in conjunction with the handle. Therewill be, by reason of the crowding action as between the two shoes inopposite directions, a binding action by the shoe C as well also as bythe one D.

The rotative movement of the handle with its flange in a direction thereverse of the arrow shown in Fig. 3 relieves the frictional bindingaction of the device and the handle is free to be reversely turned for ahalf a rotation, or to any extent of rotative movement preparatory tothe next working impulse by the again turning of the-handle in thedirection of the aforementioned arrow.

The parts conditioned or adjusted'as represented in Fig. 3 are such asto afford a forward or right hand driving action of the V screw driver Aor other work member; but by diametrically reversing the relations ofthe parts from those represented in Fig. 3,

that having the part of the annular flange J which is provided with anarrower recess h in engagement with the relatlvelylower' one F'of theleverbars, the screw driver or work member will then be in clutch forthereverse or leftward turning of the handle I r or power member asdesirable for an nn screwmg action.

vided with the recessed annular flange j to a positiondiametrically'opposite from one;

previously assumed is most easily and ,readily accomplished by theendwise drawing of particular one desiredof the lever H16 Shiftingreversal of the handle pro i i Q The flange or wall m of the cup' orcasing B is of a size, diametrically, to 'closely 'fit about and inclosethe recess-provided flange j which is appurtenant to the handle, therebylending an attractively simple and sightly aspect to the tool, andfunctionally servlceable to exclude dust, dirt or extraneous matter fromentrance into the work ing parts of the device. r J i While the tool hasbeen shown and described as one having the capability of reversal,whereby the work member may, as elected, be forwardly or reverselydriven, for the maximum utility of the implement, the invention is notunderstood as necessarily, in all respects, limited to'its duplicatedand reversible character; for the invention is susceptible of beingembodied in a manifest way in a tool havingtheoapability of only a oneway "rotative driving action. V

As obvious the work memberconstitnted by the shank or spindle A insteadof being formed as a screw driver may be made as a tool of differentcharacter and the design of the power members or handle may beconsiderably modified from that shown, Without the exercise of furtherinvention.

Iclaim: J 1. In a tool of the character described, in

combination, a tool shank having a fixed cylindrical casing, a pair offriction shoes in said casing, one of which is adapted to have aseparating movement relatively to theother for a bindingengagementagainst the wall of said casing, a fulcrum member between saidshoes-whereby the one may have its separating movement from the otherpivotally from said fulcrum, a lever bar on the one shoe, edgewiseengaged" against a portion of such shoe and prevented from being swungin one direction and edgewise engaging and crowding the other shoe, anda handle member loosely connected with the tool shank, above the casing,for a rotative movement relatively thereto, and having an engagementwith said lever bar.

2. In a tool of the character described, in combination, a tool shankhaving a fixed cylindrical casing, a pair of friction shoes in saidcasing, one of which is adapted to have a separating movement relativelyto the other for a binding engagement against the wall of said casing, afulcrum member between said shoes whereby the one may have itsseparating movement from the other pivotally from said fulcrum, a leverbar on the one shoe, having an engagement thereagainst whereby it isprevented from being swung in one direction but capable of swinging inthe opposite direction and edgewise engaging the other shoe, and ahandle member loosely connected with the tool shank above the casing,for a rotative movement relatively thereto, and having a portion ofannular form rovided with a recess therein adapted to fit and engage thesaid lever bar.

3. In a tool of the character described, in combination, a tool shankhaving a fixed cylindrical casing, a pair of friction shoes in saidcasing, one of which is adapted to have a separating movement relativelyto the other for a binding engagement with the wall of said casinoppositely located lever bars pivoted on the one shoe, edgewise engagedagainst such shoe and prevented from being swung in one direction butcapable of swinging in the opposite direction and edgewise engaging theother shoe, and a handle member loosely connected with the tool shankabove the casing, for a rotative movement relatively thereto, and havinan annular flange formed with a recess at one of its sides to fit andengage one of the lever members and having at its'opposite side a recesswider than the lever bar, such handle member being diametricallyreversible on the tool shank whereby the narrow flange may haveengagement with either of the lever bars.

l. In a tool of the character described, in combination, a tool shankhaving a fixed cylindrical casing, a pair of friction shoes in saidcasing, one of which is adapted to have a separating movement relativelyto the other for a binding engagement against the wall of said casing,located at separated points, fulcrum members between Said shoes wherebythe one shoe may have its separating movementfrom the other pivotallyfrom either fulcrum, lever bars pivoted on the one shoe, and preventedfrom being swung in. one direction relatively to such shoe, but free toswing in the opposite direction for a crowding action against the othershoe, and a handle member loosely connected with the tool shank, abovethe casing, for a rotative and also a sidewise movement relativelythereto, and having an annular flange provided with opposite recessesone of which of the width of, and to fit either of, said shoes, and theother of which recesses is wider than said shoes.

5. In a tool of thecharacter described, in combination, a tool shankhaving a fixed cylindrical casing, a pair of friction shoes ofapproximately hemi-cylindrical form in said casing, one of which isadapted to have a separating movement relatively to the other for abinding engagement with the wall of said casing, and one of said shoeshaving a rabbet in its top opening to its inner edge, fulcrum membersbetween said shoes at points opposite the axis of the tool, lever barsoppositely located, set within the rabbet of the shoe and pivotedthereto, the wall of the rabbet being capable of swinging toward andedgewise engaging the other shoe, a handle member loosely connected withthe tool shank above the casing, fora rotative movement relativelythereto, and having an annular flange formed with a recess at one of itssides to fit and engage one ofthe lever members and having at itsopposite side a recess wider than the lever bar, such handle memberbeing diametrically reversible on the tool shank whereby the narrowflange recess may have engagement with either of the lever bars.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

EDWARD L. AIKEN.

Witnesses:

G. R. DRIsooLL, WM. S. BnLLows;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

